Congratulations to the seven teams selected to receive the first IndieDev 2024: Cross-Border Games Prototype Fund!
This fund, announced earlier this year, is spearheaded by Northern Ireland Screen and Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland, is managed by Ardán and Imirt and aims to help independent studios realise their incipient projects into prototypes they can use as the first step towards other avenues of funding such as publishers or crowdfunding.
The scheme, the first of its kind, will provide every team with 15,000 £/€, and after the two-week per-production period they’ll receive support in the form of workshops and mentorship for the remaining 10-12 weeks, after which the teams should end up with a prototype each.
The seven teams come from all over the island, 4 of them from the Republic of Ireland, and 3 from Northern Ireland. From the Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland release, a short description of each game and team:
“Banbha Productions: ‘Wings of Balance’
Wings of Balance is an episodic fantasy action-adventure delving into a world inspired by the tales and legends of Irish mythology. With a focus on narrative the player will dive into a dynamic and immersive story, continuing through a series of chapters, uncovering the origins of a dark power and learning the language and powers of the locals you aid along the way. The core Banbha Productions team members working on Wings of Balance include Kieran Murphy, Katie McGuire, Dylan Hanly, Dave McLoughlin, and David Cañizares Navarro, with the team based out of Galway.
Comedy Séance: ‘Paranormal Platoon’
A pulp tactical action horror set in an alternate WW1, that mixes S.W.A.T. 4, The Mummy (1999) and Kelly’s Heroes. The core Comedy Séance team members working on Paranormal Platoon are Veronica McKittrick, Ethan Topping, Kharis Beggs, and Kevin Regan, with the team based out of Down and Antrim.
Digital Dullahan: ‘Night Strike’
Night Strike is a third person character action game where you play as a broke vampire trying to make ends meet. Fight off hordes of the night and make it look flashy for the camera in this comic book style action game drenched in a 2000s aesthetic. The core Digital Dullahan team working on Night Strike is Najib Magee, Scott Getty, and Morgan Lai, with the team based out of Down.
Dott Studios: ‘The Silver Cord’
The Silver Cord is a cosy puzzle ‘platformer’ adventure where your soul has wound up tied to your favourite doll. Joined by a silver cord, astral project your way through puzzles as you search for a way to undo the spell. The core Dott Studios team members working on The Silver Cord include Donal McClean, Oisin Corr, Tiernan Gribbin, and Tom Daly, with the team based out of Derry, Antrim, and Kildare.
fogcore: ‘Wayside’
In Wayside, following in the footsteps of her missing childhood friend, Étaín returns to the insular hometown she once abandoned - only to find all is not as she remembers. The core fogcore team members working on Wayside are Sara Buckley and Derek Byrne, with the team based out of Dublin.
Margarita Games: ‘Ravel the Frays’
Ravel the Frays is a sci-fi mystery visual novel with puzzle mechanics. Presented with all the lines of a conversation out of order, you must put them in the correct order to solve the puzzle. Solving the puzzle unlocks the ability to watch the visual novel scene play out in full with art and music. The core Margarita Games team members working on Ravel the Frays are Gary Chadwick and Marija Petrova, with the team based out of Limerick and Kilkenny.
Saorspell: ‘Project Raindrop’
Project Raindrop is an impactful narrative-driven adventure RPG punctuated by snappy turn-based combat, potion-brewing mechanics & endearing pixel art. It features a story which highlights themes of societal division, queerness & friendship through sorcery & alchemy. The player, a trainee alchemist, befriends an ensemble of characters & seeks to protect a young raindrop. The core Saorspell team members working on Project Raindrop are Adam Englishby, Megan Fox, and Jade Wren Folan, with the team based out of Galway. “
We are looking forward to seeing these 7 prototypes come to life, and their teams continue their trajectory through the games industry in Ireland and abroad.
If you were one of the many applicants and couldn’t secure funding, be assured that as our industry grows, and the organizations promoting them continue to develop, we can expect many more initiatives like this in the future.